Loose-leaf binder



Aug. 24,1926. 1,597,136

A. H. WODWARD vLOSE LEAF BINDER 'Filed April 25, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug.24,1926. L597J36 A. H. wooDwARp Loos LEAF BINDER l Filed Apnl- 25, 1924 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Aug. 24, 17926.

Unirse sra-,rs

'PA TEN 'l' OFF I CE ARTHUR IEE. TWOODWARD, OF ICHICAGQ, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE INTERNATINAL REGISTER lC'O.,\'OF"-CHICA'G.O, ILIiINOIS,A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

LoosnLEAF BINDER.

My linvention relates to flooseeleaf binders, Vand fmore particularly to binders employing lbindingposts adapted to pass through holes in the loose leaves. i p l p The object of the invention isa generally improved construction with a View` to simplicity and sturdiness and to improving upon .the means for locking the t'ree ends of .the binder posts .alter the book leaves are in positionon these posts. A p u y Rle'err' `g to the accompanying drawings inwhich I have .illustrated a preferred ein bodimentof my invention: p

Figure l is a isectional View on `a plane parallel with the pages through a loose- Vleaf'loook embodying my improved loose-leaf binder;

Fig, .2 is agplan'` sectional view talren through the plane of `one of the binding ".posts., p i f L Fig. 3 yis a fragmentary-sectional view 1llustrating the hinged .mounting of the post locking leaf and the :arrangement of the y y `spring detent 5 Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View throiigh the binder, illustrating the hinge connections between the `bac-lr plate `and the post .supporting leaf and the lpost locking .lea L; y

Figs. 5 and 6 are vertical sectional views taken ,through the binder and looking in `opposite directions to Show the hinge mount ing of veach leat1 of the device.;

Figs. 7 and 8` are Adetail sectional views showing the function .of the `bead` or flange struck out :around the outer end of each locking slot;

, Fig 9 is a perspective View of the binder mount-ed in the boolr, showing .the bindery opened up with the two leaves folded back Y and ig'. 10 is a plan View of the same. l IThe "binder unit constituting the `present invention isrdesignated by numeral 12in its entirety, this binder unit beingl illus* more) binder posts 17 which Vare adapted to pass througlrho'les in the book pages.

The binder unit 12 is mounted in the bacl: of the loose leaf book 18 in any preferred manner, which willbe obvious to those skilled in the hoolibindinglart. The hack plate 121 is preferably secured across its entire rear surface to the baclrll ol the bool; cover, the side covers or leaves 21--21 hav Vhinged connections with the book back 19 adjacent the lateral `ed es of the `arched bacl plate 14. This metallic back plate 111 thus reinforces the entire back of the book. y Reterringagain to the construction oil the binder unit 12, it will be observedtrom ures l, G and ,9 that the post supporting leaf 15 is punched out to leave rectangular openings Q3 adjacent `its upper `and lower ends. Likewise, the post locking leaf 16 ispunch-ed out with long narrow slots 21 adjacent its upper and lower ends. ln Apunchiii,gr out lthe backplate 14 tongues are left extending from both edgesof the plate for engaging in these openings or slots Q8 and 24. Asshown in Fig. 1, these tongues are looped in through tlieseopen `ings or slots ,from ythe outside or the leaves s rino' 27 la` aoainst its inner edffe and to b l b it? 7 accommodate this detent spring the -adja cent edge ot the arch-cd baclz plate lll is cut out along a `greater length, as indicated at 26. For facility of assembly, rthe other edge of the back plate is cut out to this greater' depth 26", `as indicated or' the` lower tongue 2.5 ,in 6. Thus, irrespective oli which edge of the back plate the post lool:- ing leal 16 is hinged to, the detent spring` 27 will find clearance for the endwise sliding motion of this locking leaf. f

The binder posts 17 are rigidly `mounted the post supporting leaf 15 in any snit able manner, such as by having reduc-ed ends which are passed `through openings in the leaf 15 and are then headed or riveted over, as indicated at 28. rlhe free ends of the posts 1'? are formed with annular grooves 29, leavingl outer locking heads 31which are less in diam-eter than the posts themselves.

The other leaf 16 has locking slots 32 of keyhole form punched out substantially opposite theends of the binder posts 1T. The enlarged ends of the locking slots 32 will permit the locking heads 31 on the ends of the binder posts to pass freely through to the other side of the locking leaf or strip, but are too small to permit the post itself to enter them, insuring register with the groove, this leaf or strip and the binding post b-eing then relatively moved to bring the narrowed ends of the slots 32 into the grooves 29.

rlhis shifting movement for locking and unlocking the binder posts 17 may be accomplished by hinging the post supporting leaf 15 for shifting movement, or by hinging the post locking leaf 16 for shifting movement.

' The latter practice is preferable, because the shiftingl of the post locking leaf 16 does not V'involve any shifting of the book pages,

which may be tightly compressed against the back of the book. As shown in Fig. 5, the relatively narrow slots 24 are elongated sufliciently to permit the leaf 15 to be slid endwise suiciently to clear the locking heads 31 of the reduced ends of the locking slots 32. After the book pages 20 (F ig. 2) have been slipped over the binder posts 17 the two leaves 15 and 16 are swung together and the latter leaf 16 is shifted upwardly to permit the insertion of the ends of the binder posts into the locking` slots 32, after which the leaf 16 is shifted lengthwise into its locking position illustrated in F ig. 5. The locking leaf 16 is normally retained in this position by the detentspring 27. As shown in Fig. 3, this is a flat leaf spring secured at its inner end to the outer wall of the locking leaf 16 by rivets 34. The spring extends substantially fiat along the hinged leaf 16 to the in-. ner end of the hinge tongue 25', where it is formed with an outwardly curved hump 35. This hump 35 snaps down over the inner edge of the tongue 25 when the locking leaf 16 is shifted to locking position, and thereby operates to retain this leaf in this locking position. When the leaf is shifted endwise to unlocking position the spring 27 is cammed up over the top of the tongue 25. The adjacent end of the locking leaf 16 may be formed with an outwardly turned lip 36 for facilitating of grasping the end of the leaf in order to pull it longitudinally to effect the unlocking of the binder posts 17.

Referring to Fig. 8, it will be noted that the end of each locking slot 32 opposite the reduced end is formed with an outwardly punched flange 37 struck out of the metal in the operation of punching out the locking slot. This flange or shoulder lies in the plane of the looking head 31 on each binding post 17, so that when the locking leaf 16 is pulled endvvise these blocking shoulders 37 will engage the locking heads 31 and prevent the grooves 29 from relockingthemselves over the opposite ends of the locking slots 32. Thus, by mere endwise pulling of the leaf 16 the locking heads 31 and the enlarged ends of the looking slots 32 will automatically center for unlocking separation.

I do not intend to be limited to the particular details herein shown and described eX- cept as they are defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a loose-leaf binder, the combination of a back member, side members attached to said back member, binder posts supported by one of said side members, and means for effecting locking engagement between the other side member and the free ends of said posts, said means being releasable by lsliding motion of said other side member rela tive to said back member and the attachment of said last side member to said back member permitting sliding motion Vof said side member relative thereto.

2. 1n a loose-leaf binder, the combination of a back member, binder posts supported by said back member, and a locking side member adapted'to have hinged movement relative to said back member, said lockingmember also having shifting` movement relative to said back member for engaging` said binder posts.

3. ln a loose-leaf binder, the combination of a back member, a pair of side members hinged thereto, binder posts supported by one of said side members, the other side member being adapted to make locking connection with the free ends of said posts and having translational motion relative tosaid back member for releasing said posts.

4. ln a loose-leaf. binder, the combination of a back plate, a pair of binder posts, a postsupporting leaf on which said binder posts are mounted, said leaf having hinged oonnectionto said back plate adjacent one edge thereof, a post-locking leaf adapted to effect a locking engagement with the free ends of said posts, and hinge means between said post-locking leaf and said back plate for permitting shifting movement of said locking plate to unlock said posts.

5. ln a loose-leaf binder, the combination of a back plate, a pair of binder posts, a postsupporting leaf to which said posts are attached, a hinge connection between said supporting leaf and said back plate, a post-locking leaf having locking slots adapted to engage with the free ends of said posts, and a hinge connection between said locking leaf and said back plate permitting relative shifting movement of said looking leaf to release said slots from said posts.

6. In a loose-leaf binder, the combination of a. back member, a binder post carried.V by

said back i'nelnber, a Vlooking groove in said binder post adjacentts free end, a slide member hai/inga- Vlocking slot therein, one

end of said slot being` reduced for engaging Vmy naine this 11th dey of April, 1924.

ARTHUR H. WOODWARD. 

